2nd meeting on benefits for Yarnell fire survivors set

PHOENIX -- An Arizona legislative committee charged with figuring out how
to pay survivor benefits to part-time Prescott firefighters killed in June is
set to meet again Tuesday.

The House Public Safety, Military and Regulatory Affairs Committee meeting
comes a month after Speaker Andy Tobin urged members to quickly craft a plan to
pay full survivor and other benefits to the 13 part-time firefighters.

They were among 19 killed June 30 in the Yarnell Hill wildfire.

The committee also is trying to figure out how to legally cover some of the
other costs of the fire, including a $5.2 million payment to the state's public
safety retirement system owed by Prescott.

The city was hit with the bill after the state system had to pay survivors
death benefits.